Located a few blocks from the National's Park and the Washington Navy Yard, 80 M Street is a LEED-certified - Gold 285,000-square-foot office building that also offers a cafeteria, 24-hour fitness center, and ample underground parking. When the owner decided to renovate the 6,500-square-foot lobby, he was looking for a durable and industrial-modern finish that could accommodate the heavy foot traffic. Polished concrete was immediately chosen as the aesthetically pleasing solution.
To add dimension to the design, the architect wanted the surrounding area's street grid stained into the polished concrete floor finish. Our scope of work included the main lobby, reception, lounge, conference room, café, and two elevator lobbies and the entrance way to the fitness center and cafeteria. The result was a durable, environmentally friendly, and beautiful polished and stained concrete floor.
There were many challenges. While most of the concrete was newly placed, more than 2,000 square feet was existing concrete. To blend the new and old concrete, contractor Hyde Concrete, sawcut the cold joint and filled with a custom color caulk to match the new slab.
For the street grid, the architect wanted a custom color to match the brick veneer. After several mock-ups to get the color to match, the architect decided on a blend of two LM Scofield Formula One Dyes mixed 3:1. Overall, the biggest challenge of this project was completing all the work-grinding, layout, staining, polishing, and sealing-while still maintaining 24-hour access for employees and visitors through the lobby.
The contractor coordinated with the general contractor, building management, and other trades to maintain access to the facility and protect their work. All of the work was completed at night or weekends. Excellent coordination with all parties helped this project run smoothly and be successful.
